Hip Bursitis | What is it?

Hip Bursitis is the inflammation or irritation of the bursa- specifically the bursa of the hip. This can be an incredibly painful disorder. So how exactly does hip bursitis occur? In many areas of the body, muscles and tendons must slide over one another during movement. At each of these places, a small sac of lubricating fluid helps the muscles and tendons move properly without any impediment or dysfunction. When functioning properly, these sacs of fluid reduce friction, but if they become swollen and irritated they can cause significant pain. One common area where this occurs is in the bursa on the outside of the hip, called the trochanteric bursa. This creates a painful condition known as trochanteric bursitis.Hip Bursitis: What is it?

How does bursitis develop? Oftentimes, bursitis is caused by repetitive, minor impact; however it can also develop from a sudden, more serious injury. Age can also be an influencing factor. As tendons age they are able to tolerate less stress, are less elastic, and are more vulnerable to tear or experience injury. Specifically, in regards to the development of hip bursitis, friction can build in the bursa while walking or during the course of normal daily activities if the long tendon on the side of the leg is tightened or shortened. During a normal gait (walking) pattern, your buttock and hip muscles pull the tendon over the large bone in your hip. When the tendon is tight, it rubs against the bursa. The rubbing causes friction to build in the bursa, leading to irritation and inflammation. Friction can also be caused if the outer hip muscle is weak, if one leg is functionally shorter than the other, or with repetitive wear from running on banked surfaces. Most cases of trochanteric bursitis appear gradually with no obvious underlying injury or cause. Trochanteric bursitis can also occur after artificial replacement of the hip joint or other types of hip surgery. The cause may be a combination of changes in the way the hip mechanics function, the alignment or the way scar tissue has formed from the healing incision.

Oftentimes the very first symptom of trochanteric bursitis is pain. The pain can be felt in the area of the hip right over the bump that forms the greater trochanter. Eventually the pain may radiate down the outside of the thigh. In extreme cases the pain will also be present at rest and may even interfere with sleeping.

Trochanteric bursitis is often treated successfully with chiropractic care. Chiropractic manipulations and soft tissue therapies (Graston, ART, Exstore et cetera) can be performed to help restore normal biomechanics to the hip joint. At Mount Pleasant Spine Center we have also seen good results with medical acupuncture or dry-needling when treating this complaint. In addition to manual-based treatment in office we also provide exercises and lifestyle modifications to help support the changes that have been achieved with treatment.

For questions, or to schedule an appointment, call our Mount Pleasant Chiropractic office at 843-416-8012